Caught in the Riptide {Unedited} {Watty Awards 2013}

Chapter Twelve

Caught in the Riptide

Chapter Twelve

I drove past the barbed wire fence of the Naval Communication Base in wonder and gazed inside, a smile flickering across my face; I could see people inside laughing and smiling, families having fun together and couples strolling, hand in hand. It was like this was an area that never knew about the terrifying teeth and claws of the humans gone zombie almost overnight and suddenly all I wanted to do was go inside, find somewhere to sleep, close my eyes and dream of rainbows and unicorns.

And I almost would have if I hadn’t seen the way Colton’s fists clenched in anger and the ticking in his jaw –two signs I’d learnt very well that meant he was angry. And that was only confirmed when he spoke.

“That is not going to protect anyone and you’re all going to die,” Colton hissed and I saw a hand come up and smack him around the back of the head.

I flashed Rylie a grin in the rear view mirror and she smiled back but it dropped instantly when she saw Harrison’s frown of worry.

“Don’t be so rude, Colton, they’re not dead yet so why are they going to die later?” I grimaced and Colton snorted at me.

“Because zombies aren’t their biggest threat anymore!”

I tensed up and glared at him before pulling up to the gatehouse while Colton and Harrison rolled down their windows.

Now my car had grown on me since we had figured out that it had no problem running over how ever many zombies that got in the way but apparently Colton didn’t feel the same way and never failed to make that clear to me when he felt the car deserved it –so basically all the time- although it was a big surprise when he didn’t comment on how annoying it was that you had to roll down the windows and not just press a button which made it a little clearer to me that he really was angry right now.

“Who are you?” A gruff voice filtered into the car in a strong American-accent and I looked up to see a man most likely in his late thirties with a balding scalp and a bear-belly. He looked at everyone in the car with a frown until he saw Harrison’s head sticking out of the window and then he smiled, “Hey kid, what’re ya’ doing?”

Harrison grimaced at him, “Hey Guy, I’m catching a ride with these folks. We’ve had a little bit of a problem and I need to talk to Frank immediately; any chance you can let us in without a check? It’s kind of really important.”

“’Kind of’ don’t sound that important, kid,” Guy frowned before walking back into the gatehouse and pressed a button before walking back to our car. “But I guess I can let ya’ll in just this once, but kid if they start blowing up stuff then I’m not gona’ be all that ‘appy, yeah?”

Harrison grinned at the man, “Thanks Guy, I’ll see you later alright? Thanks!”

Guy waved at us before yelling something to the men a few metres away, enclosed in a different metal section and then he wondered back into the gatehouse as the pole blocking the entrance lifted up and we drove forward into another section that was caged off with tall barbed-wire fencing. Two men and one woman swung open a different gate in front of us and waved us through so we could enter the compound where we were then waved towards something that looked like a makeshift car park.

We parked the car and clambered out, Riley instantly running around so Harrison could wrap an arm around her shoulder for support as one man and woman rushed towards us dressed in what looked like medical uniforms.

A tall man dressed in a military uniform with two guns strapped to his waist followed them and I shivered, quickly running to Colton’s side while Riley shot me a I-don’t-know-what-to-do look as she was ushered off with Harrison who seemed weary of the doctors and adamant not to leave her side any time soon. I shrugged to her hopelessly and she frowned before turning around and following the doctors who were looking at us disapprovingly.